RIDGE

COUNTING AND
RIDGE TRACING

Leah Moyao Donato

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Understand the process of ridge counting and ridge

tracing.

Conduct Ridge Tracing and Ridge Counting.

A R E V I E W O N L O C AT I N G C O R E
A N D D E LTA
L O C AT E T H E D E LTA
L O C AT E T H E C O R E
W H AT I S R I D G E
COUNTING?

• The process of counting the ridges that

touch or cross the line of count drawn
between the delta and the core of LOOP
patterns.

• A white space must always intervene

between the DELTA and the first ridge to
be counted.
STEPS IN RIDGE COUNTING
STEPS:

• To obtain a fingerprint ridge count, draw an imaginary line from the DELTA to the
CORE. Each ridge that the imaginary line crosses is then counted.
• One of the ridges must be a RECURVING RIDGE.

• Do not include the DELTA and CORE in the RIDGE COUNT.

STEPS:
• Fragments and Dots are counted as ridges only if they appear as thick as the
SURROUNDING RIDGES.
• If you cross a bifurcation, count each of its arms.
STEPS

• If the Delta is the only Loop, there is no RIDGE COUNT.

STEPS

• White space must intervene between DELTA and the FIRST RIDGE COUNT.
STEPS
• If the DELTA is above the SHOULDERS of a SINGLE LOOPING
(Recurving) RIDGE, and the CORE is on the SHOULDER, THERE is NO
RIDGE COUNT unless the imaginary line CUTS the RECURVE.
 • The CORE is placed in the
CENTER of the RECURVE
provided the SHOULDERS are of
LOOPING EQUAL distance from the
DELTA.
RIDGE IS
ABOVE THE
D E LTA
IF A ROD OR SPIKE IS AS HIGH AS
THE SHOULDERS...

• The CORE is placed on the END of the ROD.

 STEPS

Natural and Unnatural Breaks in the RIDGES.

The Distinction is UP to the JUDGMENT of the Individual Classifier.

ACTIVITY
RIDGE TRACING
WHORL
TRACING

• This refers to the

positions of the Deltas in
the Whorl relative to each
other.
• Tracings are classified as
Inner (I), Outer (O) and
Meeting (M)
STEPS

• Trace from Left Delta to a point Opposite from Right Delta.

WHEN THERE ARE THREE (3) OR
M O R E D E LTA
• Trace from the farthest left delta to a point opposite the farthest right delta
D R O P D O W N AT E N D I N G R I D G E S
FOLLOW THE LOWER FORK OF A
B I F U R C AT I O N . . .
S T O P AT T H E P O I N T O P P O S I T E T H E
R I G H T D E LTA A N D C O U N T R I D G G E S
B / N T H AT P O I N T A N D T H E D E LTA
I-INNER

• If there are 3 or more ridges inside the RIGHT DELTA.

 OUTER (O)

If there are 3 or more ridges

outside the RIGHT DELTA.
MEETING (M)

• If there are one or two ridges either

OUTSIDE or INSIDE the Right Delta.

• If the tracing stops on the Right Delta itself.

 IT IS NOT
NECESSARY TO
COUNT MORE
THAN THREE
RIDGES
TRACING DOUBLE
L O O P S / A C C I D E N TA L

• Problem of where to stop tracing

is sometimes presented.
• When the tracing passes inside
the RIGHT DELTA, stop at the
nearest point to the RIGHT
DELTA on the UPWARD trend.
TRACING DOUBLE
LOOPS OR
A C C I D E N TA L

• If no upward trend is present,

continue tracing until a point
opposite the right delta or the
DELTA itself is reached.
A C C I D E N TA L S

• Often possess three or more deltas. In

tracing them, only the EXTREME deltas
are considered.

• Tracing begins at the extreme left delta

proceeding towards the extreme RIGHT
delta.
WHORL TRACINGS